Their Dating Experience
by Bells of Tomorrow
Summary: It wasn't the nicest of places, but it was casual and made a good pizza. He'd thought of a fancier date, but he didn't want to scare her away. A pre-Scrubs story focusing on Dr. Cox and Carla's dating experience.
1. Part 1

_**Important A/N:** I've wanted to do a pre-Scrubs story focusing on the more intimate relationship between Dr. Cox and Carla for sometime now, mainly inspired by the episode, "My Quarantine," in which it is revealed that they used to be an item. The episode also reveals that their first date had consisted of Perry taking Carla out for pizza. He also spent ninety dollars on theater tickets for her, but seeing as how that's not described as part of their first date, I'm going to assume it came after the pizza event. Also, to further tease Turk, Perry goes up to Carla and says something along the lines of, "Remember that Quarantine years back? Just me and you, alone…" (Something like that) Carla gets mad at him for saying that in front of Turk, but she never actually denied it. __Oh, and Carla was working at Sacred Heart eight years before JD and the crew showed up. Season 7 reveals that Perry is forty-seven years old. Anyway, I'm having this story take place a year after Carla's arrival at Sacred Heart, so you do the math. lol __Anyway, that ends the insanely long author's note. Enjoy part 1! _

_**Disclaimer:** I own a very large nothing. _

**Part 1**

Perry shifted nervously in front of his favorite nurse's door, pulling on his jacket with such force he was sure the stitching was going to snap. He couldn't believe he was really getting ready to do this; that she had even agreed. _Don't think like that, Perry. You're a doctor after all. A good looking, confidant doctor. So act like it, damn it!_ The Irishman nodded to himself, willing some of the confidence he had back at Sacred Heart to show in his current stance. But he couldn't seem to stop shifting around or rocking on his heels.

Worst of all, he'd yet to hit the buzzer.

The curly haired doctor inhaled slowly. _Breathe, man, breathe!_ Right. Okay. He could do this. It was going to be fine.

Slowly, hesitantly, Perry put his finger to the button.

"Hello?" came the muffled reply through the speaker.

"Carla. Uh, hi. I'm, um…here."

"Oh! You're early!"

Perry looked down at his watch. Damn it. He was. "Uh, yeah…guess I am."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be down in a second, okay?"

"Okay." Once his finger was off of the buzzer, Perry threw his head back, silently thanking whatever powers that were that he had not been invited in. Carla loved her mother, but she had told enough stories that had him rather hesitant to meet the woman himself. He never said it out loud, but when Carla told him to pick her up at 7:00, she most likely noticed the two second look of panic that had crossed over his face.

Fortunately for his stomach that would refuse to stop rolling with nerves, the Latina woman did not keep him waiting long. She stepped out of the entrance to her apartment building and smiled. Perry tried to smile back, but he was pretty sure it came out as more of a gawk. _God,_ she looked beautiful. Her jeans were tight in all the right places, and her orange-sherbet blouse was doing a number for her curves. The outfit seemed so simple; so easily put together, but that in and of itself somehow made her ten times more appealing than normal, which was really saying something, at least for Perry.

"So, do I still have to call you Dr. Cox?"

Perry smirked. "Is that your preference? I personally find it hot."

Carla swatted his arm playfully. "We're not at the hospital, so I think Perry will do just fine."

The curly haired doctor just shrugged. "Sure then, be my guest."

He was surprised when the nurse linked their arms together, a smile still plastered on her face. "So where are we going?"

_Damn, Perry. You may be a nervous, pathetic wreck, but you sure as hell know how to act like you're confidant. And kudos for not openly twitching when she touched you._

"Perry?"

"Oh, um…just a small pizza place. I figured we'd go for something casual, you know?"

She nodded her agreement as they turned the corner, and now, Perry thought with amusement, it was _her_ turn to gawk.

Carla actually stopped in her tracks as he led her over to his car; his _new _car.

"Since when do you own a Porsche!?"

Perry pulled out his best cocky grin. "Had it since last week. Thought I'd reveal it when the timing was right. By your current expression, I'm gonna go ahead and say I was right on the mark."

"How'd you get it though?" she asked in wonder.

"Well, selling the old car helped, though I'm surprised I got anything for it at all. Worthless piece of junk… And obviously being a doctor helps; money wise anyway."

Carla quirked an eyebrow.

"N-Not that I'm rich." Perry actually laughed at the thought of him loaded with cash. It was true though; he really _wasn't_ rich. He had picked up extra shifts like crazy and had worked his ass off for this car. The Porsche was used, yeah, but it was still in really good condition. "I had to work a lot, trust me, and -"

"You know most guys _want_ the girl to think he's loaded."

Perry just shrugged. "You don't exactly seem like the type of girl who'd fall for the rich guy with the fancy car."

"Then why show it off?"

Damn it, what was with the sudden interrogation? Did she think he stole it or something? "I'm proud of it, that's all. Like I said, I worked my ass off for it and –"

"Relax, Dr. Cox. I'm just teasing you."

"Thought you weren't going to call me that."

"Yeah, well," Carla started, making herself comfortable as she stepped into Perry's car, "It's hard to remember when you start going off on rants like that."

Cox grinned as he started up the engine. "That was _ne-hawt_ one of my rants, and you know it."

"Would've been if I didn't cut you off."

He looked over to the nurse, who was now grinning at him, brown eyes sparkling from the aftermath of teasing. He grinned right back.

--

It wasn't the nicest of places, Perry knew, but it was casual and made some really good pizzas. He'd thought of a fancier date; a lot of them actually, but he didn't want to scare her away with coming off as too serious.

Truth be told, this was more of an experimental date for Carla, but he knew that. Her mentality for this date was the way most people were on their first: "Sure, we could work together. Let's give this a shot." But Perry had already fallen for her at this point; pretty hard too. He wouldn't say love, of course. No, not to that extent, but he really and honestly liked her. She was strong willed, sarcastic, witty, and undeniably gorgeous. How could he not?

Carla had gone ahead and picked them out a table as Perry went about putting in their order. Once he was done and found the spot she had picked, he sat down and swallowed, preparing himself for the classic, first date fear: Awkward conversation.

"I enjoyed the ride, you know."

Perry quickly looked up from the spot he'd been staring at on the table. "What?"

"The car. I know I picked on you a little, but it was a nice ride, and you're a good driver. That actually surprises me. I always took you for the crazy, border line insane driver. You know…lot's of road rage, curses off every red light. That kind of guy."

Cox rolled his eyes. "You sure know how to make a guy feel loved there, Carla."

She laughed in response before asking, "Could you blame me?"

"No…" Damn it. That had come out way too serious. Hell, it was borderline sad. And now the girl he was trying to impress was fidgeting in her seat, looking a little guilty. He should've said something smooth and comforting, but instead he ended up saying, "What's with the face? C'mon Carla, I don't blame you."

Okay…not the smoothest way to say what he meant, but Carla was used to him by now. She stopped her fidgeting (mostly) and gave him a nod with an accompanying smile.

After another painful sixty seconds of silence – which Perry couldn't help finding ironic, because on most days, he adored silence rather than incessant babbling – Carla began speaking. "My mom wants to meet you, you know. She said she wants to make sure I'm being taken care of. Which is pretty ironic, considering I'm the one usually taking care of her."

"To be honest, I'm glad you didn't invite me in. I'm not quite sure I can do the whole, 'Meet the parents,' bit on the first date."

"Par_ent_ actually."

Now it was Perry's turn to look guilty. He'd forgotten about Carla's father abandoning them when she was younger. Well no, he didn't _forget_, he just hadn't been thinking when talking about her parents, and now…damn it!

"It's okay."

Perry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Right…"

"Will you relax? Seriously, it's okay. If it makes you feel any better, we can switch the conversation and discuss your parents for a while."

It was said in nothing more than a joking tone, but Perry instantly tensed. Now the guilt was shifting back to Carla as she watched the man before her stiffen. He had no reason to blame her though. He'd never spoken of them to her; he'd never spoken to _anyone_ at the hospital about his past before. "They're dead."

"Dr. Cox…I'm so sorry."

"I'm not."

Carla knew her eyes had widened at the words, but she decided to leave it at that. If he wasn't ready to share his past, then she wouldn't push. And okay…she'd been accused of being a bit of a gossip - a seeker of juicy secrets and details – on more than one occasion at the hospital, but this was an entirely different situation.

It was at that precise moment that the pizza was delivered to their table, and the looks of relief that passed on both of their faces would've been almost comical to anyone who'd been observing.

Once the waiter left the two alone, Perry reached for the pizza cutter, but stopped when he saw the look of disgust cross over Carla's features. "There a problem?"

"What did you have them put on this pizza!?" she asked in horror.

The curly haired doctor looked down at his order, wondering why it seemed like such a frightful sight to her. "Besides the cheese I'm assuming?"

She nodded, seemingly too stunned to say anything other than her original outburst.

"Anchovies, pineapples, and red peppers. Why? What's the big deal?"

"Because…because that's disgusting! Dr. Co – Perry…those flavors don't even go together."

"And why the hell not?"

"Because they just don't!"

"Well have you ever tried it?"

Carla rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mom."

Dr. Cox eased up a little at the teasing tone of her voice. Okay, so it was kind of embarrassing how much she disliked his order, but at least the tension from before was finally dissipating. "If I sound like her, then maybe she'll like me when I'm coerced into meeting her. Now _at least_ try the damn thing before you go off into a fit."

The Latina woman picked a piece up hesitantly. She let the tip of it fall on her tongue, allowing a couple of seconds for the flavors to really sink in, and then – "Dear, _God_ that's disgusting!" she quietly exclaimed as the pizza went from her hand to her plate.

Perry inwardly groaned. This date would definitely be put under the category of "Suck."

--

The drive home hadn't been all that bad. While they didn't talk as much as they did the first time around, they had at least been able find and agree on a radio station. (Jazz, as it were)

Perry walked her to the apartment building, stopping at the door and looking for all the world like nervous kid on Christmas; wondering what awaited him under the tree in since he had ne-_ho_ idea whether or not he was on the good list or the bad list. After tonight's catastrophe, he couldn't help but assume the worst, but then a soft pair of lips collided with his cheek. He stared at her, quietly berating himself for looking so shocked, but her wide, brown eyes told him that she liked that.

"Don't worry about the pizza thing, okay? I mean, yeah…it was pretty horrible, but at least I can say I tried something new, you know?"

"I think there's a compliment in there somewhere…"

She swatted his arm playfully, reminding him of the beginning of the date; before everything became tense and awkward and –

Her hand was suddenly around his own, giving it a tight squeeze. "I'll see you tomorrow at work, and maybe if you go a whole day without creating havoc, I'll let you take me out on a second date."

Cox grinned. "You betchya', sister."

The nurse smiled before turning into her apartment building, and then she was gone.

Perry let the night air wash over him as he stood for a moment longer, letting the scent of Carla's lingering perfume wash over him as well. At least he was getting a second shot.

_**A/N:** End of part one! I don't think I mentioned this in the beginning author's note, but this story will have three parts. And just in case anyone's wondering, I didn't make Perry as angry and jaded as he usually is on purpose. We've seen him in the beginning stages with a woman that he's interested in on the show, and he's never as harsh as he is with others. And in since he has a bit of a soft spot for Carla anyway, I really couldn't imagine him ranting and raving the whole time. Well, that's it from me. Hope you guys enjoyed it. :) Until next time!_


	2. Part 2

**_A/N: _**_Okay, so I need to warn you guys: I do not speak Spanish, but there is a part of this chapter that is in Spanish, so if you do speak the language and you're wondering why it's choppy and weird, that's probably why. lol The translation to what each character is saying will be at the end of the chapter, though it would probably help to scroll down and read what it is they're saying during the part where the conversation takes place._

_Anyway, that's about it from me. Enjoy guys!_

**_Disclaimer: _**_I own a very large nothing._

**Part 2**

Perry worked hard at keeping his temper in check during the next day at the hospital. It wasn't too difficult around his patients, seeing as how they were legitimately sick rather than the usual dose of hypochondriacs he'd been stuck with "curing" for the last week or so. He was sure to stop by the nurse's station often, mainly to see if Carla was observing his good behavior. He'd never ask, but he'd stand there just long enough for some incompetent intern to come bug him about something that they should've already known. Dr. Cox would grit his teeth, manage a, "What room?" and follow the blubbering "doctor" to where the problem was. He'd sneak glances at the nurse as he passed, catching her smile as she saw him doing his best at keeping it together.

At one point, unfortunately, Kelso had found his way over to the nurse's station as well. He yelled and screamed over nonsense that was entirely _not_ Perry's fault. The curly haired doctor had stormed off after that, obviously in a hurry to find an empty room in which he could yell and kick and rave. Carla never brought this up though. Yes, she did want to see if he would at least try to keep his temper in check for her, and he was. But she wasn't stupid either. She knew Dr. Cox just needed to let loose sometimes, so she let him continue his ranting in private without a word.

It wasn't until she was finally done with her shift did she see him again. He sat outside of the east entrance, sitting on the railing and staring angrily into his half empty cup of coffee.

"Long day?"

Perry didn't even jump. It was a quirk she noticed about the older man not long after her arrival at Sacred Heart. Somehow or another, he was able to sense who was behind him without even turning around.

"You have no idea…" he finally answered.

"I saw Kelso tear into you earlier…"

"I hate him."

"I know."

"He's the devil."

Carla shrugged. Dr. Kelso wasn't exactly her favorite person either, but she didn't want to take it that far. So instead, she chose to place a quiet hand on her friend's tightened shoulder. He looked at her, eyebrows raised in question. "Yeah…?"

"That date…you still up for it? Because I saw you today, you know. Besides the Kelso thing I mean. You were really watching yourself, weren't you?"

She was almost disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm in his response. She had expected a sly grin, a smart ass comment, _something._ But instead he just shrugged, his shoulders only easing a little as he did so. "I _attempted_ it," he finally managed. "Don't think I passed now, did I…"

"You did just fine, Dr. Cox, and I'd really be up for that date. You know…as long as its anchovy free."

Perry finally looked at her, allowing himself a small grin in the process. "Yeah, alright. No pizza, no red peppers, no anchovies. Oh, and no pineapples. Did I get that right?"

She laughed at his tone of voice; teasing and borderline sarcastic. She was surprised at the relief she found upon its return. "You got it," she answered with a small wink.

Perry watched her walk away, but not before calling out a quick, "What time?"

"Six?"

"You betchya."

After she was completely out of sight, Dr. Cox finally climbed off from his spot on the railing, stretching his tired legs as he took another swig of luke warm coffee. Today had sucked, but at least it ended well.

--

Later, when Perry found himself walking up to the nurse's apartment building, Carla was already there, standing outside the doors to meet him.

"Wow, look at you all dressed up!" she remarked approvingly.

Perry looked down at himself and grinned. Long black pants with a matching black jacket fit his features nicely. The single button on the front of said jacket was pulled together, revealing a grey t-shirt that also fit rather nicely…

He looked back at Carla and smirked. "Glad ya' noticed."

"Oh, and no compliments for me?"

"Stunning, spectacular, beautiful, enchanting, fiery, sexy, gorgeous, _growl!_"

Carla let out a bright laugh as she turned back towards her apartment, the ties of her black, silk dress fluttering as she did so.

"Uh…where are you going?" he called after her, sounding a little too nervous for his liking.

The Latina woman looked genuinely surprised as she turned back to face him. "To my apartment! I told you my mom wanted to meet you, remember?"

Perry's stomach flipped. Fantastic.

--

He was told to wait on the couch while Carla went and told her mom her date was here. As Perry sat anxiously, a furry cat peered over at him, eyes glowing with a disturbing sort of curiosity. The curly haired man let out a low growl, to which the cat responded with a vicious hiss. Perry scowled. He was _not_ a cat person. As he was preparing himself to let out another threatening growl, he heard Carla come out of whatever room she'd walked off to, the footsteps of another behind her.

He stood from his place instantly, telling himself he did _not_, in fact, jump.

"Mom, this is Dr. Cox, my date."

Perry stood, suddenly feeling like a naked statue on display at a very frumpy, very cold museum. She gave him an accusatory eye before turning back to her daughter. Suspicion was evident in her voice as she began to talk at a rather rapid pace. "¿Qué es tan grande acerca de este hombre? ¿Por qué no un buen chico Dominicana? No se olvide de sus raíces, Carla. Es importante que recuerde dónde proceden. ¿Va a tesoro de su patrimonio? ¿Se le agradezco? No sé ... le parece sospechoso a mí ..."

Carla looked aggravated as she turned to her mother. Her hands were on her hips, but her voice was calm as she tried to get her point across. "Mamá ... ¿no crees que estás siendo injusto? Usted ni siquiera han hablado con él todavía, y ya está llamando a él en su patrimonio. Eres mejor que eso!"

Perry swallowed. He knew what he was about to do was a sink or swim moment. Not just when it came to impressing Carla's mother, but impressing Carla herself. He'd never told her. Not on purpose, it just never really came up. He had tried though. He was eager to take on patients that spoke only Spanish, hoping she would walk in on them and witness the exchange, but it'd never manage to work out that way.

Before he had any more time to question his next move, he summoned his confidence and cut into the conversation, the language rolling off his tongue in elegant waves. "Sra Espinosa, puedo asegurar a usted voy a cuidar de su hija, y que su patrimonio es sin duda apreciada. No sólo aquí, sino en el hospital como así. Su hija es una excelente enfermera, usted sabe. Verdaderamente una de una especie. Usted planteó su bien."

A stifling quiet ensued, in which Perry inwardly berated himself for being so bold. This wasn't the hospital, damn it! And while he had been ten times politer than he'd normally have been, especially after hearing a judgment that he wasn't supposed to hear, he had a feeling this wasn't going to end well. Both women were staring at him, wide eyed and cla-_hearly_ shocked. Perry had his mouth open, getting ready to grit his teeth and apologize, but suddenly the elder Espinosa was smiling, brown eyes glowing in response to his words.

He let out a surprised sound as two aged hands grasped onto his face in a firm but fond squeeze. The hands pulled his gaze down to their owner's level, patting his cheeks as they did so.

Mrs. Espinosa turned to Carla excitedly, the whole atmosphere of the room changing in an instant. "¿Ves? Ver! Ahora este es un buen hombre, Carla. Un buen, buen hombre! Él se encargará de usted y le agradecemos por todo lo que son. No deje que esto obtener una distancia, me escuchaste? Mira cuánto le gusta usted! Y lookâ…como guapo!"

Carla took one look at Perry's expression, a combination of relief and slightly disturbed awkwardness, before she let out an amiable laugh. "Sí, él es guapo, pero creo que es el momento de dejar de lado su rostro de manera que podamos comenzar nuestro día."

Carla's mom patted him once more before letting go. The nurse grabbed Perry's arm, ushering him out of the apartment, as Mrs. Espinosa waved goodbye. "Ustedes dos han divertido!"

--

It wasn't until the two were completely out of the building did Carla start cracking up. Dr. Cox, seeing that it was okay to laugh, followed shortly after. "I cannot _believe_ that just happened!" she exclaimed, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. She paused to punch his arm playfully, looking up at him in mock accusation. "And you! Since when can you speak Spanish, and why haven't you told me!?"

Perry shrugged. "Never came up, I guess. I mean…you should've noticed eventually. You know…like when I'd get a Spanish speaking patient and never call for a translator? You might've figured something out…"

She swatted his arm again; eyes still alight with amusement at what just took place in her very own apartment. "Well, I'll let it slide, only because you managed to win over my mom so easily. But just remember…_she's _not the one you're trying to impress."

"That's good. Otherwise that'd be extremely disturbing."

Carla found herself laughing once more as she climbed into Perry's steel black Porsche. "So, where are you taking me tonight?" she finally asked.

Dr. Cox smiled, clearly proud, as he withdrew two theater tickets from his pocket. "Jazz concert. You and me. Balcony seats."

"Jazz?"

Perry frowned. "Yeah. What's the problem? We listened to it on the way back to your place the other night, remember?"

"Well, I mean, yeah… It's just, you seemed really tense, you know? I just decided to keep that station on in since we couldn't really agree on anything else. I mean…I don't _dislike_ Jazz, I'm just not _in_to jazz."

Dr. Cox could almost feel the tickets go limp in his hands. "Ah… Well, we have balcony seats, so at least we can just vegg back and relax without people looking at us like we've sprouted an extra head."

The nurse shifted uncomfortably in her seat, a soft blush spreading through her features as she turned her gaze in embarrassment. "About that…I'm kind of afraid of heights."

Perry closed his eyes in silent defeat. And to think he'd thought tonight was going well.

--

The rest of the night had progressively gone down hill. It was a sad moment when Perry realized he'd rather be in Carla's apartment getting face groped by her mom or hissed at by her cat. This was not to say he didn't want to be with Carla, or that he pinned her as the one responsible for the date's failure. No, that was him. He'd been presumptuous when buying the tickets. Just because they listened to jazz on the way home shouldn't have made him think she'd been a life long fan of the stuff. And while some women _did _find balcony seats rather romantic, he shouldn't have gone ahead and assumed Carla would feel the same.

A slow, creeping disgust for himself swelled in the pit of his stomach. He'd been trying so hard. So _damn_ hard.

He chanced a glance at Carla, whose hand was still gripping his tightly. Not out of desire or any sort of longing, but out of fear for being up so high.

He didn't want to leave though. He'd spent ninety dollars on those tickets, and maybe, just _maybe_ if they hung in there, she'd start to calm down. She'd see where they were, notice the person next to her and realize how hard he'd been trying. But after the nurse took yet another shaky breath, Perry gripped her hand just a little harder, catching her attention. She looked at him quizzically before getting the message. They were leaving.

--

They drove back to her apartment in utter silence, either one of them too afraid to turn on the radio. Carla looked embarrassed and maybe even a little ashamed. Perry looked angry, but it was more directed at himself than anything. Could you blame him though? The damn anchovies had gone over better than this.

Shit, this is why he avoided all of this crap. This is why, half of the time, he didn't even bother trying. These stupid, romantic gestures that they always say a guy should do to show how much he cares…they always seemed to blow up in his face, no matter how much thought or effort he put into it; no matter how much he really liked the girl.

Before he had time to register where they were, he suddenly found himself standing across from Carla by the entrance of her building. He shifted uncomfortably, doing his best to avoid her gaze without looking as though he was trying to.

"I'm sorry, about tonight…"

Perry looked from whatever he'd been staring at, surprised by the apology. "Why are _you_ sorry? Shouldn't have assumed you liked jazz now, huh..."

Carla gave him a sympathetic smile, and Dr. Cox couldn't tell if that made him feel better or worse.

"Thanks for getting me out of there though," she spoke softly.

Perry just shrugged.

Carla went on her toes, leaning forward to give him a small peck on the forehead. "Good night, Dr. Cox. I'll see you at work tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah…'night, Carla."

She offered him one more smile before turning and heading through the doors of her building. Perry groaned. Last time, he'd gotten a kiss on the cheek and a good amount of reassurance. This time, he'd gotten the freaking forehead kiss.

Work tomorrow was going to be hell.

**_A/N:_**_ Part of me hates writing this. In since we know those two don't work out, you have to write it accordingly, but I feel so bad for Dr. Cox while doing it. Anyway, just a couple of quick things I should probably point out: In Season 1, it shows that Dr. Cox can speak Spanish. Yet in another season, he calls Carla in to translate for him. Yet in Season 7, he can speak Spanish again. It was bit inconsistent, so I just went for the Spanish-speaking version. lol Oh, and in Season 1, Carla tells Perry that he's the only one her mom will trust, so I figured at some point they must've met and she must've liked him. Makes sense if that happened when they were dating, you know? Anyway, that's it from me. Until next time!_

**Translation:**

_Mrs. Espinosa: _"What is so great about this man? Why not a nice Dominican boy? Do not forget your roots, Carla. It is important to remember where you came from. Will he treasure your heritage? Will he appreciate it? I don't know...he looks suspicious to me..."

_Carla:_ "Mom...don't you think you're being unfair? You haven't even spoken to him yet, and you're already calling him out on his heritage. You're better than that!"

_Perry:_ "Mrs. Espinosa, I can assure you I will take care of your daughter, and that her heritage is most definitely appreciated. Not just here, but at the hospital as well. Your daughter is a fantastic nurse, you know. Truly one of a kind. You raised her well." _(Yes, I made him super polite, but I honestly can't see him being his usual Dr. Cox self when meeting someone like Carla's mother for the first time)_

_Mrs. Espinosa: _"See? See! Now this is a good man, Carla. A good, good man! He will take care of you and appreciate you for all that you are. Do not let this one get away, you hear me? Look how much he likes you! And look…how handsome!"

_Carla:_ "Yes, he is handsome, but I think it's time to let go of his face so that we can start our date."

_Mrs. Espinosa: _"You two have fun!"

**_A/N:_**_ Again, I apologize for my horrible Spanish. lol_


	3. Part 3

**_A/N: _**_Well, here it is guys, the third and final part! Thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed and supported this story. I know it's a bit of an odd thing to find in the Scrubs world, but I really wanted to give it a shot, so I'm very glad there are readers out there who are enjoying this. :) Well, that's enough out of me. Hope you guys like the final chapter!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I own a very large nothing. _

**_Warning:_**_ I rated this story T as a whole, but I think this chapter would be leaning more towards M._

**  
Part 3**

Dr. Cox leaned heavily against the nurse's station. Only an hour into his shift – his _night_ shift, which he loathed even on a good day – and let out a frustrated growl. He had hoped that maybe their schedules had gotten changed around a bit, but Carla had been there upon his arrival. She had given him a small smile before bringing her attention back to her paperwork. On any other day, this wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest - quite the opposite, in fact - but now he was evaluating every single thing. _Was that smile awkward? Does she wish we had separate shifts tonight too? Does she think that because she feels bad about yesterday, or just because she doesn't want to see me? _

Perry shook his head, beyond annoyed with himself. God, he was behaving like a blushing school girl. Enough of this crap! He had patients to see, damn it! The Irishman picked up the nearest chart, making his angry way towards the room in which it indicated.

It wasn't until he was actually in the room itself did he start reading his patient's symptoms. He went through them in his head, eyebrows coming together in puzzled concentration. "Huh... Mr. Fruman, is it?"

"That'd be me, doc."

"Right…there isn't a chance that you've ever been to China now, is there?"

"Actually, yeah. Was there not too long ago, as a matter of fact."

"Mmm…" Perry answered absentmindedly, still flipping through the man's paper work. "Could be SARS…"

An angry snarl emitted from behind him. Usually, Dr. Cox would just reach into his hat full of nicknames and pick out one of his favorites for the old bastard: Bobbo, Beelzebub, Bob-o-gater; but he really couldn't this time around. Not because he didn't feel like ripping the old man a new one, but because he himself had realized what he'd done the minute it left his lips.

He cringed as Kelso started speaking, loud and clear for the rest of the surrounding area to hear. "The hospital is now under immediate quarantine shut down until we get the blood work back for Mr. Whoever-the-hell over there. Feel free to bring all your complaints to Dr. Cox, seeing as how this was his _brilliant_ call…"

Perry grit his teeth angrily. Damn it.

--

Dr. Cox had no patients to take care of. All of them were doing just fine, not to mention the majority of them were sleeping anyway. He was bored. _Really_ bored. There was nothing to do but sit on the couch in the doctor's lounge. Nothing to do but hope that Mr. Fruman's blood work would get back as soon as possible.

He also had the possibility of thinking and inwardly groaning over his failed attempt at impressing Carla last night, but he'd already done that several times today, long before the whole SARS incident.

Still…

Perry let his head fall against the back of the couch, closing his eyes in quiet frustration. He had tried so damn hard to make her happy. He had tried so damn hard to make her see how hard _he'd_ been trying.

"Dr. Cox?"

Well whaddya' know.

"Carla…"

"You alright?"

"Peachy."

"Dr. Cox…"

Perry refused to open his eyes, even when he felt another weight on the couch sit beside him. He didn't want to look at the accusation on her face, whether it was from last night's complete failure or the fact that he was the reason why she was currently stuck in the hospital too.

"Dr. Cox, please…"

The older man caved, opening his eyes and turning his head towards the sound of the nurse's voice. He held back a surprised gasp at how close she was to him; how _un_-accusatory her eyes were.

"Last night," she started.

"I know," he answered sharply, turning away from her again. "I messed up, I know. I'm sorry, Carla. Honest to God, I am. I thought once we got there and settled in, you'd enjoy it. I'm sorry, alright? I am."

"Perry…"

Dr. Cox turned back to her then, surprised by the use of his first name.

"I'm not mad at you, I'm not. I just…I don't know if…"

And suddenly they were kissing.

Perry's eyes widened. He _definitely_ did not expect to find himself in this particular case scenario.

It started out slow; soft. Her lips were warm and felt more than good against him. Her tongue slipped out to graze the bottom of his lip, to which he responded by opening his mouth, allowing her full access. Without breaking the kiss, she climbed on top of him, and suddenly Perry found himself with a lap – and mouth – full of Carla.

He was still too stunned by the situation to do much. His tongue worked on impulse, his mind still drawing a blank as to what was really going on. And then quite suddenly, it clicked. Carla was both straddling and kissing him with a sort of passion he couldn't define, and _God_ was he eager to participate.

He shifted their positions with a soft sort of roughness. Carla was now lying on her back, Perry fully on top of her. His tongue swirled and explored every corner of her mouth, savoring the taste, the sensation. Mmm…he'd wanted this for so long now. _Too_ long.

He pulled away from the kiss, breathless, to look into her eyes; to see if this was real.

She stared up at him with those beautiful browns. They were big and filled with a kind of longing he didn't know how to place, but something else was there too. She looked…worried maybe? Perry swallowed. He'd wanted this for so long now, but he had to ask. He couldn't _not_ ask, even if another part of his body was _begging_ for him to continue.

His mouth was open, ready to ask if it was really okay, but Carla was quick. She pushed herself up on her elbows, lips meeting lips with an urgency he hadn't expected from her.

Well, that answered that.

He lowered his head to her neck, nibbling and biting and lapping at all the places he'd only dreamed of getting access to. He could feel her arch under him, a soft, pleasurable moan escaping her as she did so. Perry growled in response, the lust in his tone evident.

He pulled away from her neck to start a trail of kisses along her jaw. With his eyes still closed, he hurriedly removed his lab coat, tossing it to the floor without a second glance.

She was tugging on his shirt now, eyes glazed over with desire. "Off. Now."

Perry nodded, deciding to himself that he very much liked the sound of Carla's turned on voice. He pulled off the intruding garment eagerly, and let out a gasp of both surprise and pleasure as Carla's hands found their way to his now bare chest.

Her touch was delicate, soft. She traced over each abb quietly, taking in his features with a look of deep concentration. She raised them up to his shoulders, the tips of her fingers gliding down tanned skin that glistened from the heat of the moment. Perry shuddered, enjoying the way she felt on him. And, apparently, it was that shutter that gave Carla whatever extra push she needed.

Her lips were pressed against his abdomen now, her kisses ranging from rough to gentle, while her fingers stroked and played with the older man's nipples. Perry let out something that sounded like a growl and a hum, his head diving down to the spot between her neck and her breasts. "You too," he managed, breathless. "Off. Off now."

Carla slid off her scrubs top effortlessly, and couldn't help but hold her breath as Perry began taking her in. While she had definitely been the one to initiate this turn of events, she really hadn't expected it to take place. And now she was wondering the very same thing she'd been wondering the other night. Before the whole jazz thing, before the second date was even set up. When it was just her and Dr. Cox outside of the hospital…

All coherent thought was cut off as Perry dipped his lips between her breasts, the curls on his head tickling her chin and neck as he continued to kiss there eagerly.

"Wanted this," he mumbled breathlessly. "So long. You. Beautiful. Us. This. Wanted it so much…"

Carla's eyes, which had been closed in pure ecstasy, shot open at his words. Perry wanted this. She did too, but he'd wanted this _before_ he asked her out. _Before_ he let her know he liked her. He was more invested. She, on the other hand…

"We can't…" she muttered mournfully.

Perry was so involved with the nurse's neck, he almost missed it. "What?" he asked between another nip and kiss.

"We can't…we can't do this."

The Irishman opened his eyes, realization of what was just said hitting him hard. He brought his head up to look at her, confusion clear in his expression. "I…_what?_"

"Pe – Dr. Cox, please."

Perry shut his eyes, very confused and very frustrated. He could tell she was contemplating something in the beginning. He'd been getting ready to tell her they didn't have to. She knew that too, and cut him off from even bringing it up. So what did he do wrong that clearly changed her mind?

A soft hand on his cheek alerted him, forcing him to open his eyes. Carla spoke, somehow managing to answer his thoughts from mere seconds ago. "You didn't do anything. I just…I realized something I didn't want to admit, because I really wanted to try this. I wanted to give this – us – a chance. But…Dr. Cox: One of the reasons I'm attracted to you is the same reason I know this isn't going to work out…"

Perry's eyebrows came together, perplexed, but he pulled himself away from the nurse so that she could at least situate herself before continuing. Carla nodded her thanks before grabbing her shirt and pulling it on. She sat back down on the couch next to Perry awkwardly, whose shirt and coat remained off, but it didn't seem like he was trying to look impressive. He just sort of sat there, slouched. He was looking at his lap, expression carefully blank, while absentmindedly pulling on the drawstring of his scrubs pants.

"Dr. Cox…do you remember the other night?"

"You're gonna have to be more specific than that, Carla… Are you talking about the theater tickets?"

"No. Before that. After you worked all day at keeping your temper, and Kelso tore into you. Later that night when I brought up the second date, but you still seemed upset…"

Perry looked at her, eyebrow quirked in question. His confusion over the situation was only increasing. "Yeah? What about it?"

"I…Dr. Cox, part of me loves that rebellious, take charge, attitude you've got going, I'll admit. And I was surprised how relieved I found myself when that part of your personality came back into your tone that night. I felt bad to see you looking so worn… But the same part that I tend to miss also has its extremes, and I don't…I don't know if we can work like that. And I'm not even saying those extremes are necessarily _bad,_ I just… When I first came in here, I really wasn't going to try and start this, but when it did, I didn't want it to stop. I thought…I thought if we just continued, all the pieces would fall together and I would feel the way for you that you do for me, but when you said how much you'd been wanting this… What if we didn't work out? You'd be so invested, and I'd just be… Dr. Cox, I don't want to lead you on. I've been lead on before, and it hurts. A lot. I don't want to do that to you. It's not right."

Perry swallowed. He didn't agree that the two of them wouldn't work out. He still thought they were good together, and it undoubtedly and undeniably sucked that he was being told otherwise, but…he knew from the start that he was more drawn to the idea of the two of them together than she ever was. Knew that if it didn't work out, it would end up hurting him more than it ever would her, even if he did do a damn good job at not showing it. And the truth was, he'd been lead on before too. He didn't need to be reminded about how much it sucked.

But none of that meant that this didn't hurt.

Perry stood from his spot on the couch slowly, making his way over to where his coat and shirt lay in a small heap on the floor. He dressed himself quietly, back turned towards Carla, doing his best to ignore her gaze. Finally, he spoke. "See you tomorrow at work." And then he was out the door, hoping beyond hope that Mr. Fruman's blood work was back. He just wanted to get the hell out of there, no questions asked.

--

The next day came all too quickly for Dr. Cox's liking. He wasn't looking forward to seeing Carla, especially after the way he left the night before. He'd been rude, he knew, but he'd also been upset. Wasn't it better to go home and rant by himself rather than at her? Still…he didn't want that tension between him and the nurse. He liked her as a person, not just as a love interest. She was the one individual in this hospital he could stand. No…the one person in this hospital he actually liked. He'd never bring himself to say it out loud, but no matter what direction their relationship took, he didn't want to lose her.

Perry walked up to the nurse's station cautiously. He looked behind the counter at all the many nurses walking this way and that, trying to spot where Carla was amongst them.

Past the nurse's station, he could see Kelso and a bunch of old bastards making their way towards the board room. He felt his eyebrows furrow in question as he spotted a much younger woman trailing behind them, head held high with a sharp strut in her step. She looked more than out of place amongst the rest of the board members, but Perry couldn't find it in himself to fear for her soul amongst those who had the potential to eat her alive. Not because he didn't think those men were heartless baby eaters, but because it looked as though _she_ was more capable of eating _them._

A small tap on the shoulder brought his attention back to his original goal. He turned around sharply, ready to tell whoever it was who had dared to bother him to go away; that he was too busy looking for someone. But when he came face to face with the person in question, he didn't have to. He'd found her already, or rather, she found him.

"Dr. Cox."

"Carla."

A long silence ensued before Perry's inner voice yelled at him. _Man up, damn it! She's clearly trying to settle this catastrophe too, so say something! Now!_ "Carla," he started again. "I…sorry, the way I left last night."

The nurse shook her head. "It's understandable. It probably felt like me kissing you was leading you on, but I swear that's not what I was trying to do. I just –"

"I know, I know. Listen, Carla, I'm not…I'm not good at…at this." Dr. Cox made a motion with his hand between himself and the Latina woman. "I'm not, and I think you know that, so can we just call us okay and carry on with our shifts? I mean I…I'm not trying to blow you off here, I just –"

"Its okay, Dr. Cox, I know. Just…thank you. For understanding. For not blowing me off this morning. I was worried that –"

Perry shook his head. "It happens. Now, I believe we both have work to do."

Carla grinned. Anyone else would've identified Perry's behavior as cold, but she knew him better. "We do. I'll see you later, Dr. Cox."

"Yeah, see you later."

The two nodded, and then they were off towards their different directions.

--

Perry continued his walk through the halls of Sacred Heart, doing his best to ignore the small pang that told him he and Carla were officially over. While a part of him wanted to find an empty patients room to rant and rave and scream, a whole other part of him felt…okay. She hadn't made it awkward for them to continue on working together. And hell, who knew what the future had for the two of them? Sure, he wasn't exactly what you'd call an optimistic man, but he could allow himself some sort of comfort over the thought, right?

He turned the corner sharply, noticing instantly the young woman that had accompanied the rest of those old geezers into the board meeting. She was sitting outside the door, her leg crossed over the other. She looked out-of-her-mind bored as she stared absentmindedly at her manicured nails.

Perry continued his walk, looking back in the direction of where he'd been heading. A sudden hand wrapped itself around his wrist; tightly.

"Hey, you. I need a pen."

Dr. Cox glared. He wasn't in the mood for this today. "Yeah? Well what _I_ need is for _you _to get the hell off of my wrist."

The woman's eyes popped, her eyebrows shooting up as far as her skin would allow. "What did you just say to me?"

"You heard me, sister. Hands off. I'm in no mood to have some stuffy little girl who thinks she's some sort of goddess because daddy or whoever the hell got her a position on the board to order me around."

He was surprised – and slightly horrified – when her response was to grin; a grin that most definitely held some sort of mischief. He watched her eyes dart to his name tag, and scowled when her grin only widened.

"Percival Cox?"

"You got a problem with it?"

"I'm Jordan. Jordan Sullivan."

Perry quirked an eyebrow, his scowl only deepening as he did so. "And why the hell do you think I'd give a damn?"

He tried not to gasp when her hand was suddenly cupping his member, her manicured fingers stroking in just the right places.

"Because I thought I'd let you know whose name to scream out when I'm jerking you off."

**_  
End  
_**

**_A/N:_**_ Well, there it is. The ending is based off of Jordan's comment from the episode, "My Unicorn," from Season 4. _"That's how I hooked up with Perry. Needed a pen!"_ If you enjoyed that bit by the way, definitely go and give the story _**"Our First Meeting,"**_ by _**Quaxo**_ a read. I think you'll like it. ;) Anyway guys, I hope you enjoyed the story. Until next time!_


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